LAHORE, July 31: The trend of getting installed LCDs on car dashboards is increasing in the absence of any action or awareness campaign by the traffic police. Drivers opting for this `entertainment’ on wheels seldom realise that any distraction caused by the video can lead to a fatal crash.

Traffic police officials say they have no idea that how many cars in the city have the devices.

There are a number of shops on Hall Road which deal in front screen DVDs and LCDs. A trader said five to 20 buyers visit him each day.

This correspondent counted 15 cars lined up on both sides of the Hall Road with their proud owners watching the installation process.

“I have installed the LCD and DVD for fun and to make my journey more convenient,” said Umair Saddique, who had visited the Hall Road to get the capacity of his DVD amplifier enhanced. According to him, a driver should take extreme care when the LCD is on.

Salesman Raza Ahmed of an electronics shop said the LCD prices ranged between Rs6,000 and 40,000.

“Young drivers are crazy about front screen DVDs and LCDs and the trend is growing,” he said.

A mechanic told this reporter that he installed 10 LCDs each day on an average and earned a reasonable money.

A traffic official says although a section dealing in music in vehicles exists in the Motor Vehicle Ordinance of 1965 and is applicable, wardens do not stop vehicles having LCDs on dashboards.

“We have so far witnessed no traffic accident in the city involving vehicle having LCD,” claims another police official.

The Punjab government which announced an increase in rate of fine for 24 different categories of traffic violations on June 9 last did not include the music or LCD category in it.

A traffic warden posted at Regal Chowk told this reporter on the condition of anonymity that wardens had no direction to stem the use of video devices in cars.

“We do issue warning chits to drivers using cell phones but we have not been asked to issue warning tickets to people who switch on video devices in their cars during driving,” he said.

Irshaad Azeem, a commuter, says our roads are already unsafe due to heavy rush and reckless driving. The growing use of LCDs, according to him, will make matters worse. “Such drivers not only risk their lives but they threaten other commuters and pedestrians as well.”

Azeem thinks that people are installing LCDs in their cars as a status symbol and to demonstrate their financial power to others.

CTO: Chief Traffic Officer SSP Ghulam Mehmood Dogar says the department is considering sending recommendation to the Punjab government for adding a new category to the motor vehicle ordinance against the use of video devices in vehicles.